Razor-stropper.



A. F. JENKINS.

RAZOR STROPPER.

APPLIGATIQN FILED Amm, 1911.

1,115,824. Patented Nov.3, 1914.

ALEXANDER r. JENKrNs, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAZOR-STROPPER.

' To all wlw/n it may conce/m1,.'

Be it known that I, LEXANoEn F. JEN

4 ums, a subj ect of the Kingof Great Britain,

residing at Baltimore city, .State of Maryland, have invented certain new and use'ful improvements in Razor-Stroppers,of which the following is a specification.

l This invention relates to blade sharpening devices and specifically relates to razor stroppers of that type including a palr of stropping rollers that operate simultaneously on both sides of the razor blade to produce a keen edge.

The invention has'or one of its objects to provide a. sharpening or stropping de vice that consists of a. pau` ot strapping rollers located within a-hous1ng 1n the form of a compressible vgrip that is graspedj by one hand and compressed to tension the rollers against the blade with any desired pressure, while the other hand turns the operating crank for the rollers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved housing so designed that the stropping rollers can beconveniently removed for renewal or for substitution of different kinds of rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide resilientrollers of novel form which allow of an effective stroppingcontact with the blade.

Another object is the employment of a simple, effective andvnovel blade holder positioned in the frame vor housing of themachine and removably held by .yielding catches. i

A further object-is to'provide a .pair of compound rollers which have separate stropping and honing surfaces whereby a relatively light compression of the rollers toward each other will cause a stropping action on the blade, and whereby 'a greater compression will cause a h'oning action' on the blade.

invention comprises `the variousnovel fea- 'With these objects in view and others, as will appear 'as the description proceeds, the

tures of construction and arrangement of parts which. will be more fully described Specification of Letters Patent.

Appncation sied April 5,' 1911. serial No. 619,113.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

before the housing or gri is subjected to the pressure of the hand. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the housing -or grip compressed as in u se. p view of one ofthe gri V members of the housing or casing removeld. Fig; 5 is a horizontal section'of the device.' Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the holder for -a Gillette blade. Fig. 7 is aiplan view of thesharpening device modiiied for another form of blade. Fig. 8'is a erspective view of a blade holder for the v evice'shown in Fig. '2'. Fig. '9 is a plan view partly-broken away of one of the combined stropping and honing rollers. Fig. 10 is a plan view partly in Fig. 4f is a perspective section of another form of stropping roller.

Fig. llis a detail View of one of the retain ing catches for the blade holder. Fig.v l2 is a detail sectional view of the means forA removably holding the'handle on the roller shaft. Fig. 13 isa detail sectional lview on line a-a, Fig. 12. l Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views'.

Referring to the drawings, the casing or housing A is so proportioned and shaped that it constitutes a grip 'thatcan be-conveniently embraced by one hand to hold the stropping device, while the operating crank is turned by the other hand. 4 This casing or housing consists of a frame that includes end plates l, upper connecting bars 2, and a lower connecting bar 3. The upper bars 2 are spaced from each other and located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine and. they form pintle rods for the oppositely-di'sposed approximately semicylindrical guards 4 which Aprotect the strop? pingelements B within the casing, and these guards form movable grip elements thatcan be' compressed toward each other for tensioning thel 'stropping elements B on the blade to be stropped. The upper corners of these grip members 4f or guards are formed with apertured ears -5 through which theV Vrods 2 pass to hingedly connect the grip bers 9 force the elements B together against' the opposite sides of the razor blade. f desired, these rollers can be normally held apart by springs 10 fastenedat 11 on the inner surfaces of the end plates 1,. the extremities of the springs extending upwardlly into engagement with the shafts of the ro ers, so as to force the latter outwardly.

The guard members- 4 are held in proper relation to each other by means of a sprin finger l2 fastened to the bottom portion o one guard member and extending therefrom into the other guard member, said fin er or* spring 1 2 having a slot 13 into whic en` gages a'l..g 14 pressed upwardly from the bottom portion of the guard member into which t ie spring extends. In the same guard member having the lug 1-1, is struck up another lug with which the curved end 15 of the spring engages, se that when the grip members are pressed together, the spring acting on the lug 15 will be subjected to tension that will cause the grip members or guards 4 to sprintf apart when the pressure of the hand on ytnlie grip members is released. The lug 14, by extendin into the slot 13, preventsl the grip mem ers from opening or separating beyond a certain point. By pressing the spring 15 inwardly, it can be raised out of'engagement with the lug 14 when it is desired to o the housing for any purpose, such as t e removal of the rollers or inspection of them.

The advantage of having the -rollers normally separated is that the razor blade can be readily inserted between them and adj usted to the proper position and danger of cutting stropping material is avoided.

The rollers B are provided with 4intermeshing gear wheels 18 so as to rotate simultaneouslyY and one of the rollers has an operating crank 19 that is capable of turnin the rollers only in one direction because o the ratchet teeth 2O on the crank engaging teeth 20n on the shaft of the roller, to which the crank is applied. The crank is preferably removable from its shaft for ',convenience in packing the stropper in a casing, and to per' mit the crank to be eectively held on the shaft for use, the shaft has a circumferential groove 20 whereby a shoulder is formed and behind this shoulder enga e spr' members or jaws 20 formed by tEe ends o a spring wire 20 coiled around the hub' of the crank, the gripping portions 20 of the wire extending throu o nings 20' in the hub so as to engage t e s oulder formed by the. headed end of the shaft. Thus, by a` pressure on the crank axiall of its shaft, the spring jaws 20 willto permit the crank hub to be a 1i to or removed from the headedendo eshaft.

The end plates A1 of the grp on h have sockets 21 that forni seats-tor the bla e holder C, the lSaid seats bein'gso positioned that the razor blade will be disposed tangentially to and between the stroppin elements or rollers B. When the holder and the razor 22 are laced in the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the device is gripped by one hand and the guards or grip members 4 are compressed so as to press the stropping elements against the blade, as shown in Fig. 3, and while the device is thus held, the operatin handle 19 is turned so as to rotate the ro ers B to produce a st roppin efl'ect on the ed e of the razor blade. lt wi thus be ossib e for the operator to regulate the ric- 'tional engagement between the rollers and blade by varyinfr the pressure his hand exerts on the yiel( ing members i of the grip 0r housing. As soon as the pressure of the hand is released, the members -l and stropping elements B move outwardly to normal position und the stropped blade is removed for' use.

The razor holder C, Figs. l, 2 and 7.ais designed for use in connection with a Gillette blade and consists of two bar-like sections 23. one being providedI with studs 24 that pass through openings in the blade, and .into Openings 25 in the other section of the holder. These two sect-ions have downwardly-extendi extremities 26 which enter the seats 21 of ige tain the blade holder in the frame of the de vice, the extremities 26 on the holderlhave notches or equivalent means 26a into which engage the upper f ree extremities of spring catches 261 fastened to the end plates of the frame or housing, the said free extremities of the s rings extending through openings 26c in t e end plates and being shaped to fit in the recesses 26. The springs'are tifFfi/'"V such strength as to retain the holder in plac should the device be inverted, but th springs will not interfere with the ready insertion or removal of the blade holder. v

For stropping ordinary shank blade razors, the frame A has its rear end plate rovided with a slot 27, Fig. 7, which is ocated in a vertical plane passin centrally between the rollers B, the said sit serving to accommodate the shank of the blade and the sockets or seats 21 are,i disposed out of line with the slot 27. The razor holder D, shown in Fi 8, is used for razors of this type, said ho der consisting of a bar 28 liaving a blade-receiving clip or equivalent device 29.- The extremities of the bar 28 are offset at 30 and terminate in downwardlvextendingmembers 31 which engage in the seats 21 of the frame A. In the members 31 are screws 32 which engage the bottoms of the seats 21 and determine the position of les the edge of the blade with respect to the strop'pin rollers, and, b adjusting t screwll eproper relation etween the bla and ro ers can be effected.

frame A. In order to rei accomplished since the body or carrier of 1,1 weer.

rollers B may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5,each roller consisting of a soft rubber carrier or body 33.Which is formed with a spiral ridge 34, the said ridge having a groove extending the'full length thereof to form spaced anges 86 between which a strip 37 of stropping material, such as leather, is held, the leather being firmly attached to the rubber by cement or the like. The convolutions of the leather strip of one roller are alternated or staggered to the oonvolutions of the 'adjacent roller, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, so that when the rollers are4 compressed againstopposite sides of the blade, one roller will not neutralize the effect of the other.

ln order to provide for honing or" the blades` the rollers may be constructed as shown in Fig. 9, each roller being provided with a spiral honing surface 38 which is normally below the stropping surface formed by the leather 37, and Whenever it is desired to hone the blade, it is merely necessary to compress the grip harder than usual to cause the leather to sinl'r or yield to such an extent that the honing surfaces 38 of the rollers will come into engagement with the razor blade. This effect can be readily the roller is made of rubber, and hence yielding. To increase the yielding of the rubber'immediately under the strip of stropping leather 37, grooves SQ-,may be formed. The rubber ,of the rollers molded around the shafts 8 by means of suitable molds, and it is merely necessary, in completing the rollers, to glue the leather strips thereon. Another form of resilient roller is shown in Fig. l0. wherein the resilient carrier consists of a helical spring 40 which has its ends terminating near the axis of the roller and entered in a longitudinal vgroove 41 in the shaft 8, so that the carrier can be readily removed from the shaft When renewal is required. On this helical spring carrier 40 is cemented a strip of leather 4:1 for stropping, honing or sharpening the blades.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings. the adrantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. and While l have deseribed the principle ot operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which l now censider to be 'the best embodiment thereof, l desire to have it understood that. the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as an` within `the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention. what l claim as new. is

l. A. blade sharpening;r machine comprisl ing a frame shaped to form a grip and havl ing an opening, a blade holder removably inserted in the opening, bodily movable rollers arranged to be pressed against the blade, and means for turning the rollers.

2. A blade sharpening machine comprising a pair of sharpening rollers, means for supporting the blade between them, yielding devices at the ends of,the rollers for normally holding the latter separated, a support for the rollers, members disposed laterally of the rollers and movably mounted on the support with their ends engaging the rollers for pressing the latter against the blade, and means for turning the rollers.

3. A blade ing a trame including approximately semicircular guards forming grip members, a sharpening roller arranged within each guard, means for turning' the rollers, and means for holding a blade in cooperative relation With the rollers, said guard members being yieldable toward each other to tension the rollers against. the blade.

l. il blade sharpening machine comprising a. frame including approximately semicircular guards forming grip members movably mounted, normally separated rollers mounted in the frame and movable toward each other by compression ofthe grip members, means for limiting the movement of the grip members and the separation of the rollers, and means for holding a blade in eooperative relation with the rollers.

5. A. blade sharpening machine comprising a frame consisting of spaced end Walls having slots forming bearings, rollers journaled in the bearings, a guard extending partially around each roller, means on the guards and extending into the slots for removably holding the rollers in the bearings,

and means for supporting a blade between the rollers.

6. A blade sharpening machine comprising a frame consisting of spaced end Walls having slots forming bearings, rollers journaled in the bearings, a guard extending partially around each roller, means on the guards for removably holding the rollers in the bearings, means for supporting a blade between the. rollers, yielding means for spreading the rollers and guards apart, and means for limiting the spreading of the said guards.

7. A blade sharpening machine comprising a frame including end plates having arcuate slotsand guards hinged between the end plates on the centers of curvature of the said slots. rollers having journals bearing ,in the slots, arcuate members on the guards engaging in the slots to retain the journals of the rollers in place, means for turning thefrollers, and means for supportingr a blade holder in coperative relation with the rollers.

8. A blade sharpening machine comprissharpening machine comprlsing a frame including end plates having arcuate slots and guards hinged between the 'end plates on the centers of curvature of the said slots, rollers having journals bearing in the slots, arcuate members on the guards engaging in the slots to retain the journals of the rollers in place, means for turning' the rollers, means for supportinga blade holder in coperative relation with the rollers, and means for yieldingly separat-ing the rollers to permit the blade to beinserted between them.

9. A blade sharpening machine compris.- ing a frame including oppositely-disposed curved guards movable with respect to each other. a sharpeningroller mounted in each guard, a spring member on one guard, and means on the other guard with which the said member releasably engages to hold the guard in position.

10. A blade sharpening machine comprising a frame, sharpening rollers mounted therein, one end of the frame having a slot for receiving the shank of a blade, seatsrin the ends of the frame disposed out of alinement with the slot, means for turning the rollers, and a blade holder having offset ends engaged in the said seats.

l1. A sharpening machine comprising a pair of compressble rollers each having separate surfaces located at'diiferent radial distances from the axis of rotation, a holder for supporting a blade in coperative relation with the rollers, and means for compressing the rollers against the blade for bringing the different surfaces of the rollers into engagement with the blade.

12. A blade sharpening machine comprising a pair of rollers each having separate working surfaces arranged at different distances lfrom the axis of rotation, the higher surface being yieldable to permit the lower surface to be brought to working position, means for supporting a blade between the rollers, and means for compressing the rollers together for engaging the Working surfaces thereof with the blade.

13. A blade sharpening machine compris ing' yielding rollers each having' different rollers mounted working surfaces in the form of helixes of. different diameters, means for supporting a blade between the rollers, and a gri for compressing the rollers together to di erent degrees for bringing the different surfaces of the rollers in engagement with the blade.

14. A blade sharpening machine comprising a pair yielding carrier having separate working surfaces located at different radial distances from the axis thereof, ineans for movably supporting the rollers to be compressed toward each other, and means for supporting a blade between the rollers.

15. A blade sharpening machine comprising a compressible grip, a pair of yielding in the grip and movable toward each other by the compression of the grip, each roller having separate working surfaces movable to workingposition by different degrees of compression of the grip, means for holding the blade between the rollers, and means for turning the rollers.

16. A blade sharpening machine comprising a compressible grip, a pair of yielding rollers mounted in the grip and movable t0- ward each other by the compression of the grip, each roller having separate working surfaces movable to working position by dif' ferent degrees of compression of the grip, means for holding the blade between the rollers, means for turning the rollers, and means for holding the rollers normally separated.` j

17. A blade sharpening machine comprising a pair of sharpening elements disposed parallel and rotatably supported, means for holding a blade between the elements. a secof rollers each consisting of av ond means for turning the elements by one l hand, and a third means operatively related to the elements and adapted to-be actuated bv the other hand for pressing the elements 

